


A New Team (Murderbbys)

by Asylos



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: (Hojo kicks the bucket), Alternate Universe, F/M, Ifrit!Reno, Kidnapping for Science, M/M, Minor Character Death, Shiva!Cloud, Summon Bonding, genetic alteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 19:41:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20140930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asylos/pseuds/Asylos
Summary: The SOLDIER program is finished, as far as Hojo is concerned. It’s stable, self sufficient, and no longer wants his meddling. So he sets his sights on his next project. If an individual soldier can accomplish that much, what could a pair well matched in skills do? And what if he added some other things into the mix? Wasn’t Materia just pure Mako? And summons were one of the most powerful forms... And if his chosen test subjects were already hand picked for other departments, well, things went missing all the time around the Tower.(This is a bit jumpy - it’s vignettes and not a straight time line. Think of it as flipping through a book with a lot of pages stuck together.)Exchange prompt: What's the story you've always wanted to write? Now here is your excuse to write it. Any character, any ship, any AU. Get me into your OTP with one fic! And have fun!





	A New Team (Murderbbys)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Up_sideand_down](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Up_sideand_down/gifts).

> Many thanks to Fish, Ida, and SocialDeception for their help, support, and love. The rest of this author note is for Upside. I ask that you read it. The rest of you can for some insight on what follows. 
> 
> Dearest Upside,
> 
> Before I knew about Ao3, before I actually started talking to anyone in the fandom and actually got involved, I read a WIP called The Raven of SOLDIER. And like usual, I started thinking. I started thinking about Hojo, and what kind of things he would create to combat this new threat. Eventually it evolved over the years. When life got bad, when my roommate took a turn for the worse and returned to suicidal talk and my mother’s health worsened, I dove deeper into making this a world where my precious boys were the best of the best, and they got so OP I figured it was something I would never actually write anything for. I commissioned some art, sure, but it wasn’t something that would ever exist beyond that. And I came back to them whenever life was kicking my ass and I needed a safe space. When I wanted angst, well then they had an encounter with their old lives to put them at risk. When I needed something safe, they kicked ass and didn’t bother taking names. No matter how hard they got hit they always got back up again. 
> 
> I didn’t realize it was your story until long after I’d actually “met” you. And then I get handed your prompts to fill in and I see one that’s just an excuse to write anything you wouldn’t have written otherwise. I told Fish I was tempted to write my Murderbbys, as I’d been calling them, and she said I should. There wasn’t nearly enough time to tell their entire story (I’m not sure having the full exchange period would have been enough even). There wasn’t enough time to show how it was Shiva and Ifrit who actually convinced the stubborn boys that they did have feelings. (Even if Reno will still deny that.) There wasn’t enough time to show what hopeless romantics the summons are when they can safely express it without causing an ecological disaster. Or to show how selfishly protective they are of their boys, who are more than just vessels to them after they’ve settled in. There was time enough to show some glimpses of their lives and a bit of the start of the happy ending, which is really the only requirement you had. Because in the end they always find their way home again to the friends they were taken from, with the new family they made along the way. 
> 
> Thank you for so many wonderful memories and safe places to hide. I hope you’ll find some enjoyment in what follows.

“Yo, bird brain, where’s your head at, cause it sure ain’t here doing the job we get paid for.” Reno tapped on the wooden fence impatiently, feet planted on the crossbeam as he waited for his partner to hop over it. 

Cloud snorted, “We don’t get paid for this crap.”

“We do today,” Reno grinned, flashing a sliver card between his fingers for just a moment before it vanished again. 

“You stole his credit card again?” Cloud sighed. “You’re going to be in so much trouble.” 

Reno shrugged. “I’m always getting blamed for something, might as well actually do it. You’re always extra gloomy when it gets to this time of year, so why not. We deserve to celebrate our deathiversary. And I want some fucking pancakes.”

Cloud watched Reno stalk further into the snowy field and smiled. “Yeah, we do. Love you too.”

“I didn’t say it!”

“I know, I know.” He caught up quickly when Reno stopped over one of the corpses. “So many soldiers..”

“Don’t worry, none of them are your old crew.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You don’t think Hojo would have been throwing more of a fit if anything happened to his elites?” he shook his head. ”Nah, these are all low rank fodder.”

“They’re still people, Reno.”

“Not to Hojo, you know that.”

Cloud looked out over what remained of the battlefield, if it could even be called so much. Slaughterfield perhaps. “What do you think did this?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.” The redhead crouched down, running a glowing hand above the body as he scanned it. “But whatever it is, it’s long gone.” Cloud held out a hand and Reno took it, using it to pull himself up. “Come on, let's get our breakfast before we get called back. There’s nothing for us to do here.”

—-

“Hold still, you idiot,” Cloud hissed. He grabbed the hilt of the blade and yanked as hard as he could, pulling it out of his partner. Steaming blood splattered him but he ignored it, dropping the weapon to catch Reno from behind instead. The stink of mako filled the air. 

“Fuck that hurts,” the redhead said around a dripping mouthful of blood. He leaned back and let Cloud slide them both to the tiled floor. 

“Yeah no shit. You’re supposed to let the one with the armour take the heavy hits.”

“Can’t let you have all the fun.” Reno reached up behind him and ruffled his bloody fingers into the blond spikes. “Besides, this’ll be fixed in no time.”

“You’re just lucky you still had enough juice to Jump us out of there after that stunt.” Cloud put his hands over the front side of the wound, and Reno rested his hands on top of them, closing his eyes. It was barely a breath before he was asleep. Cloud sighed, resting his head in Reno’s hair. He watched the door wearily, wondering how long it would be before someone would bother to check on them. 

——

“They should have manifested by now,” Hojo muttered to himself. 

Cloud and Reno exchanged concerned glances but knew better than to ask. If the scientist wanted them to know, he would tell them. Questioning him would just get them into trouble, and they’d already lost enough privileges after their late night trip for Nibelese noodles. (Reno still insisted it was worth it, but Cloud had his doubts.)

They didn’t know what was in the syringe the mad man was carrying towards them, but at this point they were so used to it that they didn’t even flinch.. “You’re sleeping in the tanks tonight,” he told them. Cloud shuddered, and Reno reached down behind the table to take his hand. 

Reno woke when the mako around him began to boil. The glass of the tube shattered and he spilled out onto the floor, the liquid pooling around him as he vomited more of it out of his lungs. He heard a loud thumping nearby but it was unimportant compared to the fire burning through his veins. Slowly the sensation seemed to subside, or at least, he managed to wall it away with that good old Turk training. Mind over matter. He pushed himself to his feet and looked to Cloud’s tank to see it covered in ice. That was where the banging was coming from. 

“Cloud!”

The banging grew louder. He ran to the tank, his hands steaming where they touched the ice, melting it away. With attacks coming from both inside and out, the glass and ice stood little chance and soon it too cracked and shattered, dumping Cloud to the floor. 

“What in Hel?”

Reno get a chance to answer, hardly even had time to think before Hojo entered the room. With a growl Reno rushed him, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall. 

“What are you doing?” Cloud exclaimed. He started pushing himself to his feet but they felt numb and he collapsed again. 

“You overstep yourself,” Reno snarled. His voice sounded wrong to Cloud. 

Hojo laughed, a victorious sound, cut short as the redhead tightened his grip. 

“Stop, you’re hurting him,” Cloud cried. He felt the words leave him but the voice was not his own. 

Reno turned to look back at him, his eyes nothing but pools of fire, blood dripping from the corners. “That’s the point. This mortal dares to bind us?”

“Not him, I don’t care about him. You’re damaging our vessels.” Cloud’s fingers lifted and wiped at the blood dripping from his nose, turning them outwards to show the stains. 

“Did you think I was so foolish as to create weapons so easily used against me?” Hojo croaked out as the grip around his throat loosened. 

Reno slammed him against the wall, bouncing the scientist’s head against the surface. They both fell to the ground. Hojo stood up shakily, leaning against the wall. Reno lay still. 

“Shit. Reno!” Cloud dragged himself along the floor until he reached him. He pulled him into his lap, cradling his head. 

“I’ll leave you all to get acquainted,” Hojo said, making his way to the door with the help of the wall. Cloud didn’t bother to look up to see him go. 

——

Cloud was practically bouncing. “I can’t believe we’re rescuing the elite four!”

“I can’t believe you’re so damn excited about them,” Reno grumbled, brushing past him to lead the way into the chopper. “Come on, it’s just another job. We go in, we take out the monsters, and we get out. The longer we’re there, the more we risk getting caught out.”

“You’re just jealous cause we were close.”

“Exactly, they were your friends, or more, I don’t really care for the details. You’ve still got family to lose if we slip up and they recognize us. It’s not like they’re the kind of witnesses we can just take out.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I.. wasn’t thinking.” Cloud looked away.

“That bird brain of yours is too tiny for it. You’d better just leave it to the professionals.” Reno mussed up the blond spikes to take the sting out of the words, but they just bounced back into place. 

“Hey!” He head butted Reno’s side, then stayed curled up there until they reached their destination. 

They spotted the group of Shinra elite in the centre of the field, huddled under the flickering remains of a Barrier. There were more people than they had been told to expect, and Reno’s frown deepened when he recognized some of the trademark blue suits of his former coworkers amongst them. “Suit up,” he said, pulling up the hood of his own combat suit. He took to one side of the chopper, and Cloud the other. They stepped out in unison. 

Reno let the Hellfire encase him as he dropped. He formed a fresh Barrier over the group beneath them and they both landed on it at opposite ends. To the crowd looking up, it must have been as if separate balls of fire and ice had landed on a hazy, upside down glass bowl on top of them. He could feel Genesis release the battered Barrier the soldier had been holding now that a stronger spell was in place.

Cloud pressed the bag of supplies he had been carrying through the Barrier, then jumped off and into the crowd of creatures that were already clawing at the new defences. 

Reno watched for a moment as their charges dug into the bag and start to pass around the collection of potions and ethers. He didn’t miss how the elites were studying he and Cloud through the Barrier instead of participating in the resupply. He took up position centre of the Barrier top and focused on tossing fireballs down into the creatures while Cloud set upon them with his swords and the occasional ice blast. 

It wasn’t long before they’d dealt with them all, and Reno was surprised the group hadn’t been able to handle them on their own. In fact, he said as much when he met up with Cloud on the battlefield to assess the situation. 

“I’ve gotta agree. This really doesn’t seem worth them calling for help. And there’s a lot more of them.”

“There’s goddamn Turks in there,” Reno hissed, gesturing back to the Barrier. He startled as he felt the Barrier shatter suddenly from the inside. “The hell did they do that for?” He glanced up. “And where the hell is our ride?”

“Should we go over there?”

“Should we- did you hit your godsdamned head? Of course not? Why am I the only one freaking out here?” Reno reached up to pull at his hair but was foiled by the hood, clutching his hands into fists at the side of his head instead before dropping them to his sides. “Shit, they’re coming this way.”

/We should eat them,/ Ifrit growled in the back of his mind. 

“What? No. We’ve been over this. Human stomach, not meant for eating humans. Or monster bits. You know that shit makes me sick. Besides, Hojo would go off the deep end for sure if we do anything to damage his precious elites. No, we just gotta... I dunno. Leave?”

“Leave? Before we have an opportunity to say thank you for the valiant rescue?” Genesis said as the group came close enough to catch the end of the conversation. 

Cloud shrugged. “What’s the harm in just a few minutes? Come on, Re-“

Reno slammed his hand over Cloud’s mouth, grabbed his arm, and Jumped. There would be no hiding the trail from their teleport, but they’d come out of a Shinra marked chopper carrying a bag of Shinra marked supplies, so heading to the Tower was really not unusual. 

Back at the field, Genesis lifted the snow from the footprints left behind and sniffed it. “I think that explains why no one has been able to summon Shiva or Ifrit for the last year.” He stood, brushing his hand off on his coat. “You were right Seph, Hojo has definitely been working on something.”

“Someone,” Zack pipped in. “Someones..?”

Sephiroth nodded, “He has been far too distracted. As much as I have enjoyed not being the center of his attention, it is certainly cause for concern.”

“But,” Angeal added, ever the practical one, “he still sent his new project in to rescue us when he thought you were in trouble. He hasn’t completely forgotten you.”

“I’m not sure if I should find that comforting,” Sephiroth said. 

——

“Go fish,” Cloud said with a sigh. 

Reno dropped his cards on the table and banged his head against the surface until Cloud slipped his hand beneath to catch it. “I’m going out of my mind with boredom,” he muttered. “Can’t we at least go out and fight something?”

“Hojo said we have to stay here until they finish inspecting the lab.” Cloud glanced around the empty VR room. “I wish we could at least turn on a sim or something though.”

“I can’t believe he even agreed to let them in. He looked ready to explode when he got the call.”

“Shiva has some... suggestions if you’re too bored for cards,” Cloud said.

Reno lifted his head and eyed Cloud with a chuckle. “Ya know, I never expected summons to be such horndogs. It’s cute that it still makes you blush when she brings it up.”

Cloud looked away, which made Reno grin even more. “Shut up,” he muttered. “Forget I even said anything.”

“Oh no, do tell. What suggestions has the Glacial Lady made? I must know the details.” A sudden loud mechanical hum froze him in his tracks as he leaned over the table. “Someone’s here.”

“What is that?”

“You never got to use these training rooms did you? There’s special barriers built in to keep magic used in here from getting out when the system is on.”

“So no Jump?”

“No running away,” came a voice over the overhead speakers. “We just want to talk.”

“Shit,” Reno muttered. He knew that voice, would know it anywhere. His old boss. “Sorry to say that’s against the rules.”

“You were never very good at following those, Reno. Why the suddenly strict adherence?”

“Guess you just never found the right incentive. Why don’t you come down here and I’ll tell you all about it?” He let the Hellfire engulf him and hoped Tseng would do anything but what he asked. Beside him he felt the deep bone chill of Cloud calling forth his ice armour. 

The door to the training room opened and the soldier elites strode in. Reno sighed. He should have expected as much, but it had been long enough since the “rescue” that he had forgotten about the strange encounter with them. “Well, this is just going to be a clusterfuck. Thank Gaia we don’t have to write up paperwork. Though I can see that being one of Hojo’s new punishments,” he grumbled. 

“Hojo is dead,” Sephiroth said as the four approached. He tossed the sack he had been carrying towards them and it rolled clunkily to a stop near their feet. 

Reno crouched down and reached for it, careful not to set it ablaze. He grabbed it by a bottom corner and tipped it open, shaking out the contents. Hojo’s severed head spilled out and rolled a bit further, leaving globs of congealed blood in its wake. “Well. That is... unexpected.”

“What does that mean...” Cloud said, hesitating, eyes glued on the severed head in front of them.

“What it means is all the credit cards I stole are about to be useless,” Reno said as he stood back up. “Looks like you can go back home, bird brain.”

Water splashed to the ground, the ice melting as Cloud ran over into the group hug waiting for him. “I can’t believe you killed Hojo!”

“We have not found a way yet to fix what he has done to you, but there is surely a way in his notes,” Genesis said. 

“There’s nothing to fix,” Cloud said angrily, pushing back from the group, voice icy with Shiva’s influence. 

Zack was quick to pull him back, “If you’re good, you’re good, Spike.” Cloud let the group envelop him again. Quick to forgive the misstep when it had been far too many years since he had seen them. 

“Yo, Tseng. Drop the stupid barriers so I can get out of here, yeah?” Reno shouted up to the control room. 

Cloud turned at the sound of his voice. “Wait, where are you going?”

Reno shrugged. “Not sure yet. Better make use of these cards to pick up some shit before accounting catches on and cancels them. After that, well, the world is a big place.”

“You can’t just leave,” Cloud said, taking a step closer. 

Reno refused to look at him. “Why the hell not?”

Cloud blinked a few times before he answered.  
“What about everything we’ve been through? Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“You’ve got your happy reunion, kid. Isn’t that what you wanted? We were just convenient.”

“No. I don’t believe that. You’re just being an asshole because you hate having feelings.” Cloud grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him so he had no choice but to look at him. 

“You think you get to have everything you want?” Reno growled. 

“Absolutely,” Cloud said, with the biggest grin. 

“And you think your friends are just going to go along with that?” He gestured to the soldiers, who looked puzzled but weren’t protesting as he was relying on them to. 

“Shiva’ll kick their asses if they don’t. You think she’s just going to let you walk out of here with her partner? Hels, you think Ifrit will ever let you sleep again if you keep him away from her?” He held out a hand. “Come on, get in the hug. Better start getting used to it.”


End file.
